A local attacker can exploit a flaw in the background service of OpenVPN Connect on macOS to send crafted messages through an inter‑process communication channel. The vulnerability allows execution of arbitrary system commands with the privileges of the service, effectively raising the attacker’s privileges. The weakness is rooted in improper handling of IPC requests and flawed privilege isolation. The affected weaknesses include insecure privileged access, insufficient authorization, and unsafe command execution.

OpenVPN Inc. OpenVPN Connect built for macOS, versions 3.5.1 through 3.8.1.

The CVSS score of 8.9 indicates high severity. The EPSS score is not reported, and the issue is not listed in CISA’s KEV catalog, but the flaw permits local privilege escalation with minimal prerequisites. An attacker must already have local access and be able to communicate with the background service, which is plausible on compromised or shared systems.